Scanned laser vein contrast enhancer with image averaging

Abstract

A vein imaging device includes: first and second lasers, a scanner, photo detector, memory, and microprocessor. The first laser emits a beam of light at a first wavelength, and the second laser emits a beam of visible light. The scanner is configured to scan the light from the first and second lasers onto the target in a pattern. The photo detector receives the first wavelength of light after being reflected from the target as a contrasted light/dark image of underlying veins, based on differential amounts of absorption and reflection by blood in the veins and surrounding tissue, and outputs a signal representative of the image. The memory receives and stores a sequential plurality of the contrasted images, and the microprocessor uses the stored plurality of the contrasted images to produce an averaged image with greater resolution, which is projected by the second laser onto the target using visible light.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An imaging device, for use in imaging subcutaneous veins beneath a target, said imaging device comprising:
 a first laser, said first laser configured to emit a beam of light comprising a selective wavelength; 
 a second laser, said second laser configured to emit a beam of visible light; 
 a scanner configured to scan said light from said first and second lasers onto the target in a pattern; 
 a photo detector, said photo detector being responsive to said selective wavelength of light, and being configured to receive said selective wavelength of light after being reflected from the target, said reflected selective wavelength of light creating a contrasted image formed by differential amounts of absorption and reflection of said scanned selective wavelength of light by blood in the subcutaneous veins and surrounding tissue; said photo detector configured to output a representation of said contrasted image for each said scan by said scanner; 
 a memory, said memory configured to receive and store a sequential plurality of each said representation of said contrasted image output by said photo detector; 
 a microprocessor, said microprocessor configured to receive said sequential plurality of contrasted images from said memory, and to produce an averaged image with greater resolution; 
 wherein said second laser is further configured to receive and use said averaged image, with said scanner, to project said averaged image onto the target using said visible light. 
 
     
     
       2. The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising: one or more accelerometers, said one or more accelerometers configured to determine an amplitude and a direction of movement of said imaging device from frame to frame, to provide mechanical image stabilization. 
     
     
       3. The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising: means for mechanical image stabilization. 
     
     
       4. The imaging device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said microprocessor is configured to identify a specific point within each of said sequential plurality of images; and 
 wherein said microprocessor is further configured to adjust a position of each of said sequential plurality of images to produce said averaged image by overlaying the specific point same position, to provide digital image stabilization. 
 
     
     
       5. The imaging device according to  claim 4 , wherein said wherein said microprocessor is configured to identify a cross point between two veins as said one or more specific points.